An energy audit is an assessment of how much energy a building uses. The audit looks at a building’s energy-consuming systems, like HVAC and lighting, to determine how and where energy is used. It provides useful insights about where improvements can be made to save energy. Most buildings will greatly benefit from an energy audit, including commercial, healthcare, higher education, industrial, and more.
An energy audit is the first step in reducing energy consumption. On average, energy costs account for between one-fifth to one-third of a building’s total operating costs. Implementing energy conservation measures (ECMs) from an audit can reduce the building’s overall operating costs. In many cases, the cost of an energy audit can be offset by the savings from energy reduction projects implemented.
The energy audit is a valuable tool to support the business case for energy conservation projects at your facility. It can be used as the foundation for a long-range plan, giving you the technical analysis needed to prioritize projects and request necessary funding.
Energy audits are often a necessary step for obtaining third-party financing or incentives for a project. Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, utility incentives, and even investment-grade bond offerings all require an audit to determine the performance of a building. Audits and energy models are also used for specialized building certification programs, like USGBC LEED.
The scope and scale of an energy audit will vary depending on your needs and goals. An audit can be as simple as assessing the impact of key equipment in the building or as complex as a comprehensive survey and analysis of a campus.
